What If there was One More...
by Lady Yagami-Sama
Summary: Set before the Cell Games, A mysterious saiyan girl shows up and wants to help the Z fighters beat Cell, but what will Vegeta have to say about it, and who will she go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with? Will it lead to an unexpected romance? Ch 6 up!
1. The Girl From the Red Planet

What If There Was One More...  
Chapter one  
"The Girl from the Red Planet"  
By Lady Yagami-Sama  
  
  
Note: This takes place before the Cell Games, right after Goku and Gohan come out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own Yakima, the rest are property of DBZ.   
  
  
The rest of the Z gang stood staring at the super saiyan Goku and Gohan, wondering why Goku felt so confident about the fight with Cell when he obviously knew he could not beat him.  
  
"Aw, come on guys," Goku said, putting his right hand behind his head, "Gohan and I just want to go home, we'll explain everything to you when the time comes. Lets go son."  
  
"Wait!" Piccolo said suddenly, his ears twitching in a sign that told the others he heard something.  
  
Goku frowned in worry, "What is it Piccolo?"  
  
"I hear some kind of air ship approaching, it's coming in fast and headed right toward us."  
  
"Is it Cell?" asked Krillin nervously.  
  
"Don't be stupid," Vegeta said with his usual venom, "Why would cell fly here in an aircraft?   
  
"Oh, shut-up Vegeta," Bulma spat, "it's not like you have any idea who it is!"  
  
Vegeta crossed his arms and glared daggers at her.  
  
"We can't take any chances, father," Trunks said, "It might be a trick."  
  
"What is it dad?" Gohan asked, watching his father reach out with his energy.  
  
Goku opened his eyes, "I'm not sure, Gohan, but there is an unusually strong power coming from someone inside the ship. It's not like the usual human kai, it's a bit stronger."  
  
"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what it is," said Yamcha, searching the sky above Kami's lookout.  
  
"I suppose you're right," said Tien, looking up at the sky as well, "but waiting makes me nervous, I hope we don't have to wait long."  
  
No sooner had he finished speaking, than there was a flash in the sky that indicated that something was coming.  
  
Everyone stopped and looked up at the thing getting closer. It was indeed an aircraft, but not an ordinary human airplane. It was a small, one-person spaceship, oddly crafted, unlike anything the Z fighters had ever seen before. But they had little time to brood on the oddity of the ship, for they had to quickly get out of the way when they realized that it was about to land on top of them.  
  
They backed up and covered their faces as the ship blew up dust and dirt all around them. When it touched the ground, they all heard it power down and a moment later the dirt stopped flying and they were able to get a clear glimpse of it.  
  
Then suddenly a panel in the side of the ship slid open and a slender young girl, she looked about 18, jumped nimbly to the surface of Kami's lookout. Her short black hair blew in the wind as she looked around at her surroundings. She noticed the Z gang for the first time and smiled, walking up to them as if she knew them. "Hi," she said, "is this Kami's place?"   
  
Goku stepped forward, his frown gone, "Uh, yeah, this is Kami's place. I'm Goku, who are you?"  
  
The girl's smile broadened, "Great, I came to the right place! Oh, my name is Yakima, I came to help you fight Cell!"  
  
The Z gang was shocked, but Vegeta just laughed. "Ha!" he exclaimed, "a weakling girl like you, helping us? You must be joking!"  
  
"Come on, Vegeta, lighten up," Goku said cheerfully, then turned back to the girl. "So where are you from, Yakima?"  
  
Yakima turned back to Goku after glaring at Vegeta, "I'm from a planet called The Red Planet," she said, "Our Guardian sensed a great evil on this planet so he sent someone to help out over here. And since I'm the only saiyan left on my planet, he sent me."  
  
"WHAT!" everyone exclaimed at the same time.  
  
"Another saiyan!" Goku exclaimed in shock, "How can that be?"  
  
"Rubbish!" said Vegeta, stepping forward to confront the girl, "The only true saiyans left are me and Kakorrotte!" He raised his hand at this, palm outward, facing the girl, "If you are really what you say you are, you can stand up in a fight against me, the prince of all saiyans." A smirk played on his lips, "Though I can't say you'd hold out too long."  
  
Trunks stepped forward, as if he meant to stop his father, but Piccolo held him back, "No, Trunks, let him do what he needs to do, I have a feeling this girl is more than what she appears to be."  
  
"Yeah," added Krillin with a smirk and a sideways glance at Trunks, "and she's quite the looker too, wouldn't you say Trunks?"  
  
Trunks blushed but did not reply.  
  
"So what do you say, girl? Care to test your strength against me, or are you too scared?"  
  
Yakima frowned, lowering herself into a fighters stance, "Fine by me, Vegetable Head, or whatever your name is, lets see what you've got!"  
  
Vegeta was livid, this girl reminded him of Bulma, he hated when people called him that. Without warning he shot a very powerful energy beam at her, and to his surprise she dodged it. This only made him angrier, and he began to shoot more energy blasts at her as fast as he could, yelling and snarling with anger as he did so.  
  
Yakima was taken by surprise; she hadn't expected him to go all out on her like that. She tried her very best to dodge all the blasts but she was not fast enough and she was eventually brought down by one. As she fell to the ground the blasts stopped.  
  
Vegeta laughed, "Had enough already, girl?" he taunted.  
  
Yakima got to her feet, she was now even angrier than Vegeta, "Not a chance, Vegie!" she spat in contempt.  
  
Vegeta fired a few more blasts at her and she just barely dodged them in time. Vegeta paused in his attack to gloat, but he had no time. Yakima's energy began to rise swiftly and her hair began blow back from her face. "Stop... shooting... at... ME!" She said, and as she screamed the last word, her black hair suddenly turned a blinding shade of yellow and her kai shot through the roof!  
  
Vegeta was shocked and he faltered in his attack, giving Yakima a chance to hit him square in the chest with an energy blast that knocked him square off his feet.  
  
The others were shocked and impressed and they stood staring at Yakima with eyes wide with surprise.  
  
Yakima powered down quickly, all anger gone from her face, "Oh, look what I've done, I'm really sorry, I lost my temper!"  
  
Goku grinned, "Wow, another super saiyan, that's great, we could sure use your help! What do you say Vegeta?"  
  
Vegeta, who was picking himself up off the ground, scowled, "She can stay," he grumbled, and the others laughed.   
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Mystery Girl Solved

What If there was One More  
Chapter 2  
"Mystery Girl Solved"  
By Lady Yagami-Sama  
  
  
The laughter died down as Vegeta went to sulk just within hearing range of the others. He was humiliated and ashamed of his defeat by a girl who was not even as strong as he was. But, against his better judgment, he found that he had acquired the same sense of respect and admiration that he felt for his future son. He crossed his arms and leaned up against a pillar, pretending to ignore the conversations of the others, but secretly listening very closely.  
  
"I'm really sorry about Vegeta, Goku," Yakima said, glancing over at the brooding form of the saiyan prince, "I hope I didn't hurt him."  
  
Goku laughed, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, you most likely hurt his pride more than anything else."  
  
"Yeah," added Krillin, "he'll be back to his old 'I'm the Prince of all Saiyans' self again in no time. I'm Krillin, by the way," he said, offering his hand to the girl.  
  
Yakima took it, smiling, she liked Krillin already, "Nice to meet you," she said.  
  
Goku laughed and put his hand behind his head, "Oh, silly me, I guess I should introduce you to the others." He placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder, "This is my son, Gohan..."  
  
Yakima looked down at the young boy and gasped, "Oh! You're a super saiyan! But you're so young, how can that be?"  
  
Gohan blushed and smiled, "My dad taught me."  
  
The girl looked up at Goku, realizing for the first time that behind his easy-going nature, there was a fierce warrior who could well be stronger than her beloved master!  
  
Goku continued introductions, "That's Tien and Choutzu over there," the triclops nodded, and the latter made a little bow. "And the tall green guy there is Piccolo," the one in question just grunted a greeting and went back to doing absolutely nothing. Goku then pointed to a tall, handsome man with a number of scares on his face, "This is Yam-"  
  
"Yamcha, at your service, my young beauty!" Yamcha said, pushing his way past Goku to take her hand. Yakima thought it was cute, but he was a bit too old for her. "If you ever need to learn a few new moves," Yamcha continued, flexing his muscles, "I'll be more than happy to-"  
  
"Oh, shut it, Yamcha," said a blue haired woman, carrying a baby, as she shoved the man aside, "she's too young for you. Hi there, dear, I'm Bulma, wife to that jerk over there," she said this pointing to the distant form of Vegeta. "And this is my son, Trunks," the baby in her arms cooed and waved his arms at the girl.  
  
Yakima smiled, she knew right away that she and Bulma would get along wonderfully, and she found it funny that she openly called her husband a jerk. "Nice to meet you both," she said, "I'm sorry about fighting your husband, Bulma, I hope you're not too mad at me."  
  
"Nonsense, dear!" laughed the woman, "If you ask me, it would do him good to get knocked around like that every once and a while!"  
  
Over by the pillar, Vegeta harrumphed and scowled, but he knew he could do little else, that woman always beat him in arguments.  
  
"Oh," Bulma continued, pulling another person into view, "This is my son, Trunks, as well, he's from the future."  
  
The girl smiled warmly up at the boy, who was little older than herself, he was absolutely dreamy, but she looked him in the eye coolly, "From the future, huh?" she asked, "So I guess you came to help fight cell as well?"  
  
Trunks nodded, the girl made him nervous, staring at him like that, and he had this feeling in his chest that he could not quite put his finger on.  
  
"Speaking of Cell," said Piccolo suddenly, "I'd like to know how, exactly, you found out about him and how you knew where to find us."  
  
Yakima looked at him, he reminded her of the Guardian on her planet; hard on the outside, but kind and caring underneath. She did not feel that he was the guardian of this planet, but then again, he was. She nodded gravely at him, "I see it now," she said, staring hard into his eyes, "the guardian is a part of you, isn't he?"  
  
Piccolo nodded, "He is here, and I feel that he knows something about you."  
  
The girl looked away suddenly, "You would be right about that," she said, seeming not to look at anything, "The Guardian of The Red Planet knew your Kami well, they were brothers you see."  
  
"What!" Krillin exclaimed, "Kami has a brother? How come he never told us about him?"  
  
Yakima looked at him, as if coming back from the place where she had been a moment ago. "He wouldn't have would he," she said, as if to herself, "No, because our planet needed to remain a secret from Freeza and all like him. If Freeza had any idea of our planet's existence, we would have suffered a fate much like Namek's. You see, like most planets, we also have our own set of Dragonballs, but they are much different than yours or Namek's. The dragon of these balls, Shenrick," she shivered at the name, "is evil. He was not always so, but gradually a virus took him that turned his heart to coal. Every wish he grants turns evil and if one wishes an evil thing, that wish will turn out ten times worse than was meant. So we asked all the Guardians never to speak of our planet to anyone so that there would never be a chance for an invasion of one such as Freeza."  
  
Everyone was shocked at the girl's horrible story and could not think of anything to say, all, that is, except for Piccolo.  
  
"You still have not answered my question," he said, but not without a little compassion in his usually hard voice.  
  
Yakima drew a deep breath, "Oh yes, of course, forgive me. Our Guardian, Kakito, as I said, sensed the great power of an evil being on this planet, and he knew that it was too much for his brother, Kami, to handle. We do not have a band of fighters like all of you, for our planet is relatively peaceful, since it is cut off from the rest of the universe. But there were two of us, my master and I. My master, Marakai, found me as a child, I had no parents and no recollection of who I was, but Marakai explained all that to me. He was a saiyan too, you see, and he told me about our race; about how the weaker ones were sent to different planets to grow apart from the stronger ones. It disgusted me, and I grew up with a bitter loathing for those who had sent me there. Marakai trained me for many years, but he was old already when he found me, and he died before I was very strong. But for longing for my dear master, I pushed myself, training to be as strong as he was. That's when I transformed into the legend that he had always told me about; a super saiyan. So that's why Kakito sent me to help you, I am the strongest on our planet and he knew you would need all the help you could get. He directed me to his brother's lookout and I am glad to say I found it easy enough." She looked up at Piccolo, "Did I answer your question that time Piccolo-sama?"  
  
Piccolo nodded and smiled a rare smile, "I think it more than covers the basic need-to-know information." He looked around at all the other fighters, "Now lets get down to business," he said, back to his usual self, "As I said before, we will all take another turn in the time chamber, except for Goku and Gohan, that is," he glanced at them sideways and frowned a bit.  
  
"That's right," said Goku cheerily, "so we had better get going, Chi-Chi will worry, come on Gohan. We'll see you guys soon, nice to meet you Yakima."  
  
And before she could say goodbye, they were gone.  
  
Piccolo turned to her, "What about you, are you going to take a turn in the time chamber?"  
  
Yakima nodded curtly, "Count me in," she said.  
  
"Trunks," Piccolo continued, "since Vegeta is going in alone, you can go in with Yakima, agreed?"  
  
Trunks stole an uncertain glance at the girl then turned back to Piccolo and nodded.  
  
The namek grunted, "Good, then you can go in first. No objections, Vegeta," he said as Vegeta straitened up and opened his mouth to speak, "I know what I'm doing."  
  
Vegeta slumped back against the pillar and crossed his arms over his chest, "Who does that Namek think he is, talking to me like that," he mumbled, "I must be going soft, letting him get away with it like that..." his grumbling continued, though words were lost to human comprehension, as Trunks and Yakima prepared to lock themselves up for a year inside the hyperbolic time chamber.  
  
  



	3. The Most Precious of Gifts

What If there was One More  
Chapter 3  
"The Most Precious of Gifts"  
By Lady Yagami-Sama  
  
  
Mr. Popo stood facing the two young warriors, his right hand on the handle of the door leading to the time chamber. "Are you ready?" he asked at last, after a ten-minute prep on what to do in there.  
  
The two nodded eagerly, Yakima had never been inside it before and she was a bit uncertain about what she would find, but she was still eager to go in. Mr. Popo opened the door and they walked in.  
  
Trunks and Yakima walked in and they heard the door shut behind them. The young saiyan girl walked down the steps and stared in wonder at the emptiness before her. Trunks stood nearby, watching.  
  
"There's nothing out there!" she exclaimed, "We're surrounded by emptiness!"  
  
As Trunks watched her, she suddenly reminded him of himself the first time he entered this place. He decided to play the part of Vegeta. "To much for you?" he asked with a slight smirk on his face at the irony of him being like his father.  
  
Yakima did not look at him when she answered, "I'm not sure, it's just so overwhelming! I'm not sure if I can spend a whole year in this place!"  
  
Trunks was taken aback, she had said almost the exact same thing he had not said to his father! He admired her honesty, "That's exactly how I felt when I came here for the first time," he said, "don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine."  
  
She turned to him then and smiled, "Thank you," she said.  
  
Trunks just shrugged.  
  
Yakima walked back up the steps to the living area, "Well," she said, "We can start training tomorrow, it was already late when we came in, and I'm starving. How about you?" Trunks nodded. "Good," she continued, "I'll go see what I can whip up for dinner."  
  
"You can cook?" asked Trunks with relief, "Great, I thought I would go hungry again in here! My father never had time to eat, and I can't even make cereal!"  
  
Yakima laughed, "Yes, I can cook, quite well, actually! Sit tight, I'll see what we've got to go with."  
  
****  
  
In no time at all, Trunks and Yakima were sitting down to their first meal in the hyperbolic time chamber.  
  
"This is delicious, Yakima, where did you learn to cook like this?"  
  
The girl smiled, "My grandmother taught me, she was a wonderful cook."  
  
Trunks saw the pain in her eyes when she spoke. "You never mentioned you had a grandmother," he said cautiously.  
  
Yakima looked down at her food, "Well, she wasn't my real grandmother," she said, "She was the wife of my dear master. I continued to live with her after Marakai's death, but even she could not live forever. She died only a few years ago, and since then I have been alone."  
  
"I'm sorry," Trunks said, "I didn't mean to intrude."  
  
Yakima looked up at him, "Oh, no, it's alright, if we are to live with each other for a year, we need to get to know each other, right?" She changed the subject quickly, "So, your mother seems nice."  
  
Trunks nodded, "speaking of my parents," he said, "I'm sorry for the way my father acted toward you today, he can be... arrogant at times."  
  
"Yeah, well, everyone has their down sides," she said with a smirk, "But he is a very powerful fighter, I respect him for that."  
  
"Well, so are you," he replied, "that was impressive what you did today, not many people have managed to get the best of Vegeta, you are stronger than you think."  
  
Their conversation continued as Trunks told Yakima of his own time, and they began to learn more about each other, until finally they decided to call it a night.  
  
****   
  
"So which bed is mine?" Yakima asked as they both stood between the two beds that were hung with curtains for privacy.  
  
Trunks shrugged and walked over to the right one, "I'll take this one, if that's ok, and you can have that one."  
  
"Fine with me," she said, walking over to her new bed and parting the curtains. She glanced over at Trunks, about to ask him something, and saw that he was stripping off his shirt. "Oh!" she exclaimed, blushing and turning her head.  
  
Trunks noticed this and turned a bit red himself, "Oh, sorry," he said, pulling on another shirt, "I guess I'm not used to sharing a room with a girl."  
  
Yakima shrugged, "It's ok, I was just surprised, that's all." She turned back to her bed and started to unpack the small backpack she had brought with her. She had brought only the bear necessities from her planet; a few extra pairs of clothes, soap, shampoo, and other bathroom necessities. But there was one thing that she brought that was very special to her, she took out a beautifully carved box and set it on her bedside table.  
  
Trunks came up behind her and looked at it, "What's that?" he asked.  
  
She smiled fondly and placed a loving hand on the box's surface, "My grandmother made it for me," she said, taking out a silver key and unlocking the box. When she opened it, a pretty melody began to play and two figures in fighting stances began to spin. Yakima touched one of the spinning figures carefully, this is my master, and the other is me. My grandmother made it when I was still young, I have cherished it ever since."  
  
Trunks nodded, "It's beautiful," he said, and an awkward silence followed. "Well," he said at last, "We had better get some rest, we need to begin our training in the morning. Good night," and with that he went back to his bed and drew the curtains.  
  
****  
  
Yakima woke up to strange noises invading her ears. She got out of bed, dressed quickly and went to see what was making so much racket. She stood at the top of the stairs and watched a super saiyan Trunks practice his aim with kai balls. She smiled and shook her head, "Those over achievers are too much," she said to herself, and walked off to the kitchen to make some breakfast.  
  
****   
  
Yakima set two steaming plates of scrambled eggs on the table and called out to Trunks, "Hey, Trunks, breakfast!"  
  
Trunks stopped in mid-stance and turned his head to her. He smiled and powered down, "Great, I'm starving!"  
  
****   
  
Trunks paused in shoveling food into his mouth and looked up at Yakima, noticing for the first time how daintily she ate.  
  
Yakima felt his eyes on her and looked up, "What?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," he replied, shaking his head, "It's just that you don't eat like other saiyans."  
  
The girl laughed, "The one thing my grandmother never faltered in was teaching me proper etiquette. She always hated the way Marakai ate, so the day he brought me home she insisted I get rid of my 'dirty habits.'"   
  
Trunks smiled, "Your grandmother must have been a wise woman," he said, "I'm only half saiyan and my mother could never teach me proper manners."  
  
They laughed together for a long time and then went out to begin their training.  
  
****   
  
"Ready?," Trunks asked his training partner.  
  
"Ready!" she replied and the two saiyans powered up and began sparing.   
  
Punches and kicks were flying, as well as a number of kai blasts. Trunks was holding back a little because he didn't want to hurt the girl, but he began to get carried away and suddenly he let loose a very powerful blast that was too fast for the girl to dodge. It hit her square in the stomach, sending her flying and crashing to the floor. Trunks stopped his attack to give her time to get up, but she didn't move. He walked over to her, "You ok, Yakima?" he asked.  
  
Still she did not answer and he began to get worried, he walked closer to her, but suddenly the girl sat up and fired a kai ball at him. He went flying and came down hard on the floor. Yakima walked over, grinning from ear to ear, "Gotcha!" she said, laughing.  
  
Trunks got to his feet with a grunt, "That was cheating," he said.  
  
Yakima shrugged and flipped her hair arrogantly, "All's fair in love and war," she teased.  
  
He smiled, "You're good," he said, "But I'll never believe you're really hurt again."  
  
"Have it your way," she replied, "Shall we continue?"  
  
Trunks smirked, "By all means," he said, and the two saiyans trained hard for the rest of the day, preparing for the day that they would be forced to face Cell in a match that would most likely lead to death. 


	4. Dreams Behind Curtains

What If there was One More...  
Chapter 4  
"Dreams Behind Curtains"  
By Lady Yagami-Sama  
  
  
It had been two months since Yakima and Trunks started their training in the hyperbolic time chamber and they were becoming more and more comfortable with each other by the day.  
  
****   
  
Yakima flung open the curtains to Trunks' bed and nudged the pile of blankets with her foot. It grunted and shifted but did not do much more than that. It was one of those rare days that Yakima was up earlier than her roommate and she enjoyed her ritual of waking sleeping beauty. She smiled to herself, "Wakey, wakey, Trunks-san!" she said nudging him again. When he did not move, her grin widened, "RISE AND SHINE, TRUNKSEY WUNKSEY!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, right next to his ear."  
  
She laughed uproariously as he jumped nearly a foot off the bed and fell to the floor in a pile of blankets and limbs.  
  
He glared at her as she continued to laugh, "I don't know why I put up with you," he teased, scrubbing at his eyes, "I should just leave and let Vegeta come in to train with you, see how you like that!"  
  
Yakima raised up her hands in mock surrender, "Oh no!" she squealed, "Not Vegeta! Please, Trunks-sama, I promise to be good!"  
  
They both laughed then as Trunks untangled himself from the blankets, "When's breakfast?" he asked, "I'm famished!"  
  
"You're always famished, you glutton," Yakima laughed, "It's already on the table, but we have to hurry, we need to get an early start today, we've been slacking off lately."  
  
Trunks nodded and headed toward the food. Yakima followed, smiling and blushing a little as she noticed that Trunks had forgotten to put a shirt on, he always slept in his boxers. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'he'll notice in a few minutes, and it's fun to see him blush.'  
  
****   
  
Yakima grunted as she hit the floor after Trunks had knocked her down for the thousandth time. She was angry with herself. She was frustrated that she was not strong enough, but there was also something else. "STOP HOLDING BACK!" she yelled up angrily at the form floating in the air above her, "This will all be in vein if you don't start giving it all you've got! FIGHT ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT!"  
  
With that she powered up to her full strength and fired a very strong energy blast at the stunned Trunks. He just barely dodged it and stood staring at his angry friend. He decided right then and there that she was right, and he stopped holding back.  
  
He powered up fully and gathered energy for a new attack. He put his hands together and fired a stream of energy at the girl on the ground. Yakima countered it with one of her own, and at first she was pushing his back. But Trunks was too strong and he began to gain the upper hand. Yakima gave it all she had but it was just not enough, finally it was too much for her to hold back any longer and it overpowered her completely, sending her flying across the great white floor of the time chamber.  
  
Trunks saw her go down and watched as her hair faded to its usual black, she lay without moving. He landed a safe distance from her, not wanting to be tricked again like the last time, and called to her, "You ok, Yakima-san?" he asked, but the girl did not move. He walked a bit closer and he saw that her clothes were torn and tattered where the blast had hit her. He ran to her then, knowing, without knowing, that he had hurt her. He knelt by her side and rolled her over gently, he winced at the sight of a large, bloody scrape, not unlike a bad carpet burn, but much worse. He could see already, that her skin was bruised badly around the wound itself, he picked her up gently and began to carry her back to their living area.  
  
As he was walking up the white tiled steps leading to the beds, Trunks felt the girl shift in his arms. He looked down and found she had opened her eyes.  
  
She looked up at him with tears in her bright green eyes, "I'm sorry," she said, "I know I am only holding you back, you should be training with someone stronger."  
  
Trunks smiled down at her, his heart filling with something he couldn't quite explain. "There is no one else I would rather be training with," he said.  
  
She gave him a weak smile, and without thinking Trunks leaned down and brushed his lips gently against hers. For a moment she kissed him back, but then she went limp in his arms and he knew she had fallen asleep. He pulled away quickly, wondering what had made him do such a thing. He shook his head to clear it and walked the rest of the way up the stairs and laid his friend in her bed.  
  
He stood there for a moment looking down at her torn and bloody clothes. He knew he had to dress her wound, but that would mean he had to take off her shirt, and he didn't know how she would feel about that if she suddenly woke up.  
  
But he felt he had no choice, so ever so gently he slid what remained of her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. As an after thought, he opened the little box on her bedside table and wound it with the silver key that rested inside it. The soft melody filled the room as Trunks bound Yakima's wound with bandaged he found in the first-aid kit. He didn't know what else to do so he covered her up, and waited.   
  
****   
  
Yakima woke with a strangled cry of horror, as she saw visions of a Cell she had never seen looming up in the darkness. She sat up in bed, breathing hard, and cried out again, but this time in pain as she disturbed the bandages around her middle. Suddenly a hand was parting her curtains and Trunks appeared at her bedside. He stood there in only his boxers with his hair in every direction, he had obviously been sleeping when the girl woke up screaming. "Are you ok?" he asked, looking at her urgently.  
  
Yakima nodded, numbly, "Yes, I'm fine, it was just a bad dream." She was still a little dazed about her dream and the pain in her side, so she fell silent and just sat there staring at him for a moment. She felt a bit cold and she looked down to see that she was only in her bra. She blushed as she let out a startled scream, and pulled the blankets up to her chin. When she was over her shock she looked back at Trunks, who was just standing there watching her. "Thank you," she said, "for taking care of me."  
  
He smiled, "I was glad to do it," he said, trying to make light of it, but his eyes still showed worry, "Are you sure you're ok?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, really. You can go back to bed, you look tired; really I'll be ok."  
  
Trunks nodded, though he still looked doubtful, "Good night then," he said and went back to his own bed.  
  
Yakima lay there for a long time, wondering why she had had such a horrible vision of Cell in her mind. She could not go to sleep, and suddenly she needed someone to talk to. "Trunks?" she asked timidly in the dark.  
  
There was a shifting in the bed across from her, "I'm here," he replied, not sleepily at all; he had not been to sleep either.  
  
She stared up at the ceiling above her bed. "Does Cell frighten you?" she asked, in barely more than a whisper.  
  
There was a short silence, and then; "Yes," he said, and his voice was full of pain, "I came to this time," he continued, "to save the people of earth, and the people I love, from suffering a fate like the one my world has suffered. Cell stands in the way of that, and he is even more powerful than the androids in my time. It scares me, the things he will do if we do not stop him. So, yes, for that reason, he frightens me."  
  
Yakima closed her eyes to fight back tears, "He terrifies me, Trunks," she said, her voice shaking with emotion, "I have never been scared of anything before, especially something I've never even seen, but this Cell, I felt his power in my bones when I landed on this planet, and now he haunts me dreams. I don't know why he scares me so, there's just something about him that chills my blood!"  
  
"It's ok to be afraid, Yakima-san," Trunks said from his bed, "it's a different thing to be brave enough to face those fears. And I believe you are strong enough to do at least that."  
  
The young saiyan girl was not able to answer; for she felt her throat contract and hot tears began slipping down her cheeks. She turned over and buried her face in her pillow and she was soon fast asleep.  
  
Trunks heard her silent crying for a while before she fell asleep, he turned over in his bed, his heart going out to his brave friend, and so much more. Before long he too was drifting off into the land of slumber, for a few hours forgetting his fear and worry, and just being free to let his mind go. 


	5. New Life for a Lonely Heart

What If there was One More...   
Chapter 5   
"New Life for a Lonely Heart"   
By Lady Yagami-Sama   
  
  
Yakima woke up to the all too familiar sound of Trunks, training just outside their living area. She got up slowly, she was a bit stiff but the wound had looked worse than it was, she would be as good as new in a few days. She put a loose shirt on over her bandages and walked to the top of the stairs to lean up against a pillar in a perfect Vegeta pose, watching Trunks with a little smile on her face.   
  
She had not forgotten the brief kiss, if you could even call it that, that they had shared, but she would bring it up in her own time. Until then, she was satisfied with just watching him.   
  
Trunks seemed to sense her presence and turned to look at her. He smiled, "Good morning," he called, walking over to her, "how are you feeling?"   
  
Yakima took a deep breath and let it out through her mouth, "Refreshed!" she said, smiling, "A little stiff, but refreshed."   
  
He grinned, "Hungry? I cooked breakfast this morning, there's still some left if you want it."   
  
The girl looked at him doubtfully, "You...cooked."   
  
"Oh don't worry, it's edible, I ate it at least."   
  
Yakima, still a little doubtful, walked into the tiny kitchen, Trunks followed, grinning proudly. She gazed into the skillet and wrinkled her nose at the contents. It looked like a bit of everything was added to the concoction, there were eggs, still with a bit of shell left in it, bacon and sausage thrown in carelessly, and was that...was that a piece of banana? She looked more carefully and identified a few peas, a bit of celery and a fried grape scattered here and there. To top it all of, it looked as though the whole mess had been piled with heaps of sugar!   
  
She stole a glance at Trunks over her shoulder, he was standing in the doorway expectantly; she gave him a weak smile and turned back to the concoction, muttering under her breath, "With stuff like this, I'm surprised he didn't die in here!"   
  
"What was that, Yakima?" Trunks asked.   
  
"Uh, I...I said you're such a dear, fixing me breakfast like this. But unfortunately, being wounded makes you not want to eat, so, er, lets go train!"   
  
Trunks frowned a bit at that, "Are you sure you're up to it?" he asked, "I mean, I could have killed you yesterday, and you want to go back out and do it again?"   
  
Yakima nodded, "But lets take it easy for a few days, until I regain my full strength. If we sit around doing nothing, it'd be doing no good at all!"   
  
He nodded back, gravely, "Ok, but nothing too intense, just some light sparing, and no going to super saiyan or using energy blasts, got it?"   
  
The girl smiled fondly, "Now you sound like my master," she said, "Come on then, I promise to take it easy."   
  
****   
  
Yakima paused to catch her breath and heard her stomach growling, she placed a hand over it to quiet it and called out to Trunks, "Man I'm famished, you want to take a break for lunch?"   
  
"Sure!" he called back, "I'll cook so you can rest."   
  
"NO!" she yelled, then, to cover it up; "I mean... no, that's ok, really, I'll do it, I need to get back into my daily routine."   
  
"Oh, ok," he said, "I'll just go wash up."   
  
As he walked away, Yakima sighed with relief, "Thank Kakito!" she breathed, "I thought I was actually going to have to eat his cooking for a moment there!"   
  
She went into the kitchen and began to prepare a large, edible, lunch.   
  
****   
  
Their training commenced after a rather large lunch, and continued on for a while. Trunks began to notice that Yakima was tiring so he called a halt to their training early. He allowed Yakima to have first dibs on the single shower, and she was grateful for that.   
  
Yakima stripped off her clothes with a will and threw them from her with disgust; it had been a few days since she had a chance to shower. She gently removed her bandages and examined her wound, it was bruised like hell but it seemed to be healing nicely. She turned on the shower and stepped into the stream of hot water, sighing contently as it soothed her aching body. She closed her eyes and just let the water pour over her, letting her mind wander.   
  
A soft smile crept over her lips as she thought about the brief kiss she and Trunks had shared. She had enjoyed it, even though she passed out before it was over. She had no idea what it was supposed to mean or if it was just a slip up that Trunks regretted doing. Ever since she had come to know the handsome young demi-saiyan, Yakima had found it hard not to fall in love with him, but she had lost that battle already and she had not known what to do about it, until he kissed her, that is.   
  
At last, after a long, leisurely wash, Yakima stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. Looking around she realized that she had left her clothes on her bed, in her rush to get into the shower. She shrugged; making sure the towel was wrapped securely around her body, and opened the door.   
  
Trunks looked up as Yakima walked out of the bathroom, expecting to see her in her pajamas with a towel wrapped wound her head, the way she always looked when she came out. What he saw instead made his face burn. She was standing there in just a towel and there was steam radiating off her still wet body. He scolded himself for thinking this, but she looked... sexy!   
  
Yakima saw him looking at her and she smiled at him coolly, knowing exactly what he must be thinking, "Heh, forgot my clothes," she said walking over to the bed and retrieving them, "I'll only be a minute." She walked back into the bathroom and closed the door.   
  
Trunks shook his head to clear it and went back to what he was doing, though he couldn't quite concentrate on it after THAT distraction!   
  
Yakima leaned up against the bathroom door laughing quietly to herself. 'That was perfect!' she thought, 'you sure made him notice you!' Yakima had never been looked at like that by anyone in her entire life, and his eyes on her like that made her feel dizzy and light-headed. How could she possibly live like this for another ten months?   
  
****   
  
It was late. Yakima lay in her bed staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She and Trunks had not spoken much after they had both finished their showers, so they decided to go to bed.   
  
The kiss replayed itself over and over again in her mind, as well as other fantasies that kept budding in. Not knowing was driving her crazy! What had it meant? She had to know! "Hey, Trunks?" she whispered, "You awake?"   
  
She heard him shift in his bed as if rolling over, "Hai, Yakima-san," he said, "I'm awake, what is it?"   
  
Yakima turned her head in his direction, though she could not see him. "Can I ask you a question?"   
  
There was a pause. "Of course," he replied, "anything."   
  
She took a deep breath; then, "Why did you kiss me?"   
  
Silence.   
  
Trunks sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed and stared at the back of his curtains. He took a deep breath, "Truthfully?" he asked.   
  
"Please," she replied.   
  
Trunks sighed, "Honestly, I don't quite know myself. I guess, maybe, I am drawn to you in a way I have not felt before, and I don't quite understand it. I am sorry if I offended you, I should not have done it."   
  
Yakima, who was now sitting cross-legged on her bed, closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, "No, Trunks-san," she whispered, "please do not say that, it would kill me if I knew you did not feel the same for me... as I do for you. I would not take that kiss back for the world!"   
  
There was a long silence after that and Yakima was afraid he would not answer. But then a hand appeared through her curtains and drew them aside to admit the only person she wanted to see in the entire world. She stared up at Trunks in silence as he gazed back at her in the same way.   
  
He knew now what he had been feeling ever since that day they had met on Kami's lookout. He was attracted to this girl from the very moment he saw her, and now he loved her. He smiled at her, with her eyes full of question and fear, and reached out a hand to brush her cheek. "Do you speak truly, Yakima-chan?"   
  
And all of the sudden all fear was gone from her face and she smiled up at him and nodded. Then, in one quick movement, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her passionately. Yakima had no will to resist, and she pulled him down with her onto the bed.   
  
Trunks pressed his lips against hers almost painfully in his sudden passion for her, and Yakima did likewise. They broke apart for breath and Yakima giggled as he moved his lips down to the nape of her neck. Her skin tingled with the joy of his touch; for some reason, being with him just felt so right! She tangled her fingers in his silky hair as his lips shifted back to hers.   
  
Trunks fumbled with the buttons on her nightshirt awkwardly, He was driven by passion and his love for her and he let his movements be taken over by a higher conscience that he did not even know existed. She gasped in shock as his cold hands met the sensitive skin of her stomach, and he grinned mischievously against her lips.   
  
Yakima felt his rough hands slide to her back and her heart leapt with pleasure. But, in his passion, Trunks forgot about the wound she had received the day before. She cried out in pain as his hands came in contact with the area.   
  
The shock of pain cleared the young girl's head instantly and the horror of what she was doing hit her like a bullet. She pushed Trunks away from her and sat up, breathing hard with the exertion of kissing him. "No, no!" she cried, "we can't! We can't do this, this is wrong!" Her head sang with the lie that she was telling herself. It was NOT wrong, it was so right, but it went against everything that her grandmother had so carefully taught her as a child and even as a young girl. This is what married people do, not love struck teens in one night of senseless passion!   
  
She looked at Trunks, wincing at the hurt look on his face as she tried to explain. "We can't do this, Trunks-san," she said, "not when there is a world out there with billions of people in it that need our protection! We must not let this get in the way of our training, it would not be right!"   
  
His face softened a little as he looked at her, then he turned away as if preparing to leave. "You're right, Yakima-chan, I am sorry. I'll let you get to sleep."   
  
He started to get up but Yakima caught his arm, "No," she said, "don't go, just stay here with me."   
  
He smiled at her and held out his arms, she went into them and let him clasp her tightly, feeling his heartbeat against her back, his soft breath stirring the hairs at the nape of her neck. For the first time in a long time, Yakima felt safe, and she melted into his embrace with new meaning to her lonely life. They lay like that for what seemed like forever, just enjoying each other's nearness, until they fell asleep in the safety of each other's arms.


	6. Fighting With Love

What If there was One More  
Chapter 6  
"Fighting With Love"   
By Lady Yagami-Sama  
  
  
Yakima woke slowly, coming out of a pleasant dream. She smiled to herself and rolled over to remind herself that it was real, but Trunks was not there. She frowned slightly, then remembered he was probably training again and laid her head back on the pillow, smiling.  
  
****  
  
For the first time in his life, Trunks could not concentrate on his morning workout. His mind was full of dangerous thoughts of the beautiful woman he had left asleep in the bed. His mother had always warned him never to fall in love; it would only bring heart ach and loneliness. But he found himself unable to deny his feelings for her. He was not like his father in this matter. His father could crush his feelings of love in an instant if he wanted to and break the heart of the only woman who had ever been bold enough to love him. But he could not.  
  
He felt eyes on him and turned to see Yakima standing in the archway of their temporary home, grinning at him. Seeing her, he forgot his childish doubts and grinned back. She was dressed in her usual apparel for training and realized that she had been right last night not to let themselves go too far. They still had a duty to fulfill and he knew she intended to go through with it.  
  
Yakima watched him as he watched her and saw that his eyes had retreated inward and were no longer seeing her. She wondered briefly what he could be thinking of, but then a thought struck her from the more playful side of her mind and she slipped craftily out of his line of sight and planted herself behind him, he did not seem to notice, as she intended. She grinned to her self and powered up.  
  
Trunks snapped back to himself when he felt the sudden energy surge and swung around just in time to see a large kai blast coming strait at him. He barely had time to leap into the air as the energy wave rocketed under his feet. He looked astounded around him and saw Yakima below him literally rolling with laughter!  
  
'Oh the look on his face!' she thought trying to control herself; it didn't work.   
  
"Good morning to you as well, Yakima-chan," Trunks called down to her, "Next time I wish you'd warn me before you try to kill me!"  
  
Yakima stood and stifled her laughter, "It should teach you a lesson, Mr. Son-of-the-Mighty-Vegeta!" she teased, "You should always be on your guard!"  
  
"Ha!" Trunks teased back, in his best Vegeta impression, "Do you think I did not know what you were up to? I let you sneak up on me, you weakling girl, to make you think you had the upper hand when I was really planning to attack you all along!"  
  
Yakima laughed, "Then come and get me, Oh Prince of all Saiyans!" And he did. They went at each other in mock anger and played their little game for as long as it pleased them.  
  
At first they stood yards apart firing blast after blast at each other. But they soon tired of that and began hand-to-hand sparing. The punches and kicks were flying so fast that it would have been hard to see what was going on, but the two warriors blocked every one.  
  
Yakima threw another punch at Trunks' face but he caught her hand and held it. She used her other hand to try to get free, but he caught that hand too; she could not move. For a moment the two saiyans were at a stand off; they gazed into each other's eyes, waiting for the next move. Neither of them expected what that next move became.  
  
All at once their mock battle was forgotten and they threw themselves at each other with such force that they were both flung to the floor in a heap.  
  
Neither Trunks nor Yakima were prepared for the intense longing they had for each other and neither were strong enough to stop it. They lay on that cold, white floor kissing with such a passion it hurt.  
  
This time Trunks was the one to come to his senses. He pulled himself away from her and leapt to his feat, gasping for breath and wondering why he was saying no to this.  
  
'Because your mother taught you morals,' he said to himself, 'and love should be tender and precious, not passionate and meaningless!'  
  
But didn't he lover her? He had said so, hadn't he? No he had never actually said that, not even in his mind. But now he did. 'I lover her,' he told himself and was astonished at the words. He gazed down at the girl on the floor longingly. "We can't," he said at last, fighting down the urge to ignore himself.  
  
Yakima nodded, not being able to look at him. "I know," she said, getting to her feet, "I just wish we did not have to fight it so much," and she didn't mean Cell.  
  
Trunks watched as she ascended the steps and disappeared into the room. Oh, how he longed to follow her! But he didn't, and he was proud of himself for it. Even though his heart ached to be with her, not for kissing or anything else, just to be there with her and talk to her and unlock the secrets of those bright green eyes. But he didn't go after her, and he was proud that he at least had self-control on his side.  
  
****   
  
Yakima flung herself on the bed and wept. She wept for the love she could not have and the pain of fighting down her feelings. She wept for her dear master and her loving grandmother. She wept for the loneliness in her heart and prayed for the strength to carry on.  
  
Why did she have to love him so much? Why had she let herself get flung into a love that she could do nothing about, neither for nor against? How could she get through the next ten months without letting herself give in?  
  
She stopped crying and sat up as she felt Trunks' energy fade slowly away, as if getting further away. She ran to the archway and looked out, Trunks was not there, and Yakima knew that he had left. "Kakito protect him," she whispered to the vast empty whiteness, and turned to go back inside.  
  
****   
  
Trunks flew. He flew as fast and as far as he could, wondering where he was going. But where could you go in a place like that? It all looked the same to Trunks, but he didn't care one way or the other, he just had to get away. At least for a little while, to clear his head. To clear everything. To clear his heart.  
  
****   
  
It was two days before Yakima saw Trunks again. He came walking up the steps as if he had never been away. His clothes were torn and tattered and his face was set and emotionless.  
  
She ran to him and threw her arms around him, embracing him. He encircled her with one strong arm and held her. "Oh, Trunks," she whispered, burying her face in his chest, "I was so worried! Where did you go? Are you hurt? You must be starving!"  
  
He pulled away from her, "No," he said, not even looking at her, "I'm fine." And he walked past her to his bed and drew the curtains.  
  
Something was not right. This was not the Trunks she had seen only two days ago. This was not the sweet, shy boy she had fallen in love with! No, he was different somehow, more distant, more like a man, more like... she gasped, more like... Vegeta!   
  
****   
  
It had been two agonizing months since Trunks had vanished for those two days and become a completely different person. They hardly spoke anymore, and when they did it was out of necessity.   
  
They still trained, oh yes, they trained, harder than they had in the past. But that was not the only thing that was hard. Trunks pushed Yakima to the very limits of her strength, and he no longer cared if he hurt her, no longer showed concern when she did not pick herself up right away. He just stood there waiting, watching her struggle to her feet, then knocking her down again. There were times when Yakima could not rise at all, those times were the worst, she watched him watching her and pleaded him with her eyes to stop. But every time he would get frustrated with her weakness and fly off in a rage, leaving her to drag herself back into bed.   
  
Many times Trunks did not show up for meals, and after a while, Yakima stopped looking for him. She just kept his meal hot and when he returned, usually in the small hours of the morning, he scarfed them down and went to bed. She never admitted this to anyone, but when he did not come back at night, she waited up for him, within the confines of her bed curtains. She was frightened of him now, now that he had become this cold replica of his father. But she never stopped loving him.  
  
At first she had tried to bring him back, to make him remember how he used to be. But after a while she gave up. She thought that it might be better this way, to not have the temptations and to go on training as they were supposed to. But now Yakima was lonely, she needed human contact and love, and Trunks, in his current state, was not what she needed. She wanted him back with all her heart, she didn't care anymore about the temptations or the consequences, she just wanted her sweet, innocent Trunks back, she did not like living with his father.  
  
****   
  
She watched Trunks walk up the stairs and head for the kitchen; he no longer waited for her to cook for him, and made up her mind in an instant.  
  
"Trunks!" she called, he stopped and half turned to acknowledge that he had heard her. "Trunks, talk to me," she pleaded, "Please talk to me!"  
  
Trunks wanted to talk to her! He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her he loved her! But he couldn't. The old Trunks was trapped inside the new Trunks, the zombie Trunks, the Trunks that reminded him too much of his father; and he could not get out.   
  
"We have nothing to talk about," droned the new Trunks, and he hated himself for whatever he did to himself to make him sound so hard and unfeeling. For, in fact, he did not know, it was all a blur in his mind and he could not get it straight. He continued his walk to the kitchen.  
  
Yakima marched right after him, determined to get her Trunks back. She grasped his shoulder and threw him against the wall, pinning him there. He looked back at her with calm indifference. She did not wait for him to recover.  
  
"You listen to me, Trunks Vegeta Briefs, and you listen good! You are not like this! You are kind and gentle, you are not like your father, you are not hard and demanding! You are Trunks, my..." she trailed off, my Trunks, she thought, but did not say it aloud. "My best friend," she said instead, "why can't you come back to me?"  
  
Her begging and pleading had not worked before, and now her demanding was having the same effect. Nothing. He looked at her with those cold eyes that she had gotten used to, and they were not convinced.  
  
He pushed her aside and started to walk away, "I have no time for this foolishness," he said, "If you cannot leave me alone, I will go elsewhere."   
  
"No," she begged, "Trunks, please don't go!" But he did not stop. She feared that if she did not reach him now, she never would, and that would be the end of their love, and the end of her. She ran after him, falling to her knees at the top of the stairs in defeat, calling out to him in desperation, "Don't leave me!" she screamed, then whispering as if it were a secret, "I love you." "I LOVE YOU!" she screamed, and Trunks stopped dead.  
  
Yakima was breathing in raged, sobbing breathes as Trunks turned slowly to face her. His face was washed with confusion. Yakima saw this as a good sign and ran to him, taking his hands. "I love you, Trunks," she said again, searching his eyes pleadingly for any spark of remembrance, "I love you! I love you with all my heart and I want to be with you forever! Please, Trunks-kun, please come back to me."  
  
And he did, slowly at first, as if those three words, uttered for the first time, had been the key to set him free. As she repeated it over and over again he felt himself become more alive, more like himself. He looked at Yakima as if seeing her for the first time, and smiled.  
  
She knew she had him then. That smile could only come from one person in the entire world: her Trunks. And as if the words felt good in her heart she spoke them aloud, smiling as she did so, "My Trunks," she said, and she saw the recognition and spark in his eyes.  
  
"Yes," he said, embracing her as if he would never let go, "your Trunks. I'm back now, and I'll never leave you again." He put his mouth next to her ear, "I love you too, Yakima-chan," he whispered, "with all my heart!"  
  
She wept then, not in sadness or loneliness, but in joy and love! She buried her face in his chest and sobbed those two months of torture out of her mind, with Trunks comforting her the way she longed for him to do, just being there with her and holding her as if he cared. As if he loved her. 


End file.
